Walking in the circle of a flashlight
someone starts to sing, to join in.
Talk of loneliness in quiet voices.
I am shy but you can reach me.
Rowing on the lakes of Canada,
rowing on the lakes of Canada.

General Commentone of my favorite songs of all time. many of their songs are about recognizing personal weaknesses and spiritual depravity, but at the same time knowing that there is a possibility for change (ie through god's help). my favorite lines are:

"Talk of loneliness in quiet voices.
I am shy but you can reach me."

i find these words have a personal significance for me. their songs are often sad, but always hopeful.

and they aren't from canada - i think they're from pennsylvania. i get the impression that the rowing is on a family vacation to canada (not competitive).

General CommentThe lakes of Canada are utterly gorgeous - Google "Lake Louise" if you've never seen one. Standing before them, I remember feeling such a feeling of open space and freedom, that there really was beauty in the world, that I could hardly believe such beauty existed.

It makes sense, because I see this song as being about feeling trapped. The woman in the song has been abused or mistreated or just ignored - stuck in a pattern for so long that life barely seems to have meaning. But she's seen the lakes of Canada, and she's felt those fleeting moments of joy that make all the pain worthwhile. And so underpinning the music is this sense of gritty, dogged determination; there is good out there. She won't give up. She won't be told that there's anything she can't overcome.